


A Day In Principal Stark's Office

by nannersmelo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: And maybe the start of something new?, Bearded Steve Rogers because I can, Big Soulmate Energy, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, I need a break from all the angst, Idk I love starting multi-chaps but I suck at finishing them, M/M, Principal/Single Parent AU, Protective Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Struck Tony Stark, Superfamily (Marvel), This is fluff again guys, either way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 01:30:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20165908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nannersmelo/pseuds/nannersmelo
Summary: Tony Stark has his hands full with not only Stark Industries, but also his beloved mother's life project: The Maria Stark Academy, and as he enters his office in order to deal with a ferocious mother whose son was apparently assaulted by one of his brightest students, he was sure this day would culminate in nothing but a heinous headache.Little did he know - he was in for one hell of a surprise.





	A Day In Principal Stark's Office

**Author's Note:**

> Lmao, sike. Guess I just couldn't keep myself from writing a 10k one-shot, now could I?
> 
> Anyways, this idea was sparked in my head when the idea was discussed in a stevetony gc of mine, so I doved into it like there was no tomorrow because: reasons. So I hope you like it! 
> 
> I'd like to thank @bestdefnder (aka Rebekah) for proofreading this for me, because I'm 100% insecure about my grammar skills lololol, and also @StarkAndSteve (aka Kenzie) for giving this a read and giving my first thumbs up. It was a pleasure, guys!
> 
> Now, get on with reading and enjoy this fluffy behemoth.

Tony was supposed to be having a good day. He had woken up in a great mood — despite the fact he went to bed at 3AM after having a particular ingenious breakthrough —, got a big breakfast, and once he left the house while bidding Mrs. Rosa farewell with a megawatt smile that had the old lady raising a brow at him while she vacuumed the floor, he was 100% sure today was meant to be a fantastic day filled with great surprises.   
  
God, how wrong could he be?   
  
The morning had been calm. He mostly solved a few issues regarding his company and attended to an early meeting per Pepper's (very passive-aggressive) request, which had been absurdly boring and uneventful, but as soon as he set foot in the premises of the school half hour past noon, his assistant was quick to reach him with a rather annoyed expression set in her usually stony face.   
  
"It's about time you showed up, boss. We have a situation."  
  
Tony quirked a brow at her icy tone, smirking playfully as he teased, "My oh my, Mrs. Romanoff. Not even a good afternoon? I'd hate to be the kid who has gotten on your bad side today."  
  
Natasha rolled her eyes and didn't bother answering, turning on her heels and walking down the elusive corridors that led to his office. Tony ended up sighing and following her as concern sprouted inside his chest. Whatever had happened must have been pretty bad to leave her in such a (worse) foul mood, and Tony was not particularly excited to find out just what kind of headache expected him inside his office.   
  
Once they arrived, Natasha unceremoniously yanked the door open and entered, holding it open so Tony could pass through. He begrudgingly did so, only to find himself frowning at the sight.   
  
Upon his arrival the children seated before his table turned their heads towards him, and so did a woman standing by one of them who seemed ready to pounce at him at any moment. Tony's frown deepened before the woman's clear show of disrespect, but decided to brush it off since a certain pair of brown eyes were glued on him oozing both tension and fear.   
  
To say Tony was surprised to see Peter Parker inside his office was an understatement. The kid was one of his brightest students, with an impeccable set of grades and exemplar behavior to match. Never, ever since Parker had been admitted into the Maria Stark's Academy, had he ever been sent to the principal's office for misbehaving, so Tony imagined the patched up broken nose Flash Thompson was sporting had something to do with it.   
  
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Thompson, kids." Tony briefly greeted the assembly as he rounded his table and took a seat on his leather chair. Natasha briskly nodded at him and left, closing the door behind her and leaving Tony to internally sigh. _Traitor. _  
  
"There is hardly anything 'good' about this afternoon, Mr. Stark." Mrs. Thompson barked while pointing at Peter, "My darling boy was violently assaulted by that little delinquent under your 'prestigious' school's roof!"  
  
Tony saw Parker flinch in his seat and immediately felt a spark of irritation surge within him. He was particularly fond of the boy and was not liking the effect the woman's wrath was having on the already teary eyed kid. "Mrs. Thompson, although I can understand why you are upset, I'll need you to tone down a notch. Peter is still a child, and I know enough about him to know he would not have attacked your son unprovoked."  
  
Mrs. Thompson scoffed, seeming outraged, "My son said he did nothing! Are you calling him a liar?!"  
  
Tony blinked a few times. She couldn't be serious. "I'm saying we don't know all the facts, and that's precisely what we are trying to understand here."  
  
"There is nothing to understand! This is what happens when you decide to do charity and bring these kind of people into our midst!"  
  
Tony felt another wave of irritation crash against him. '_These kind of people_'? Did she really go there?   
  
Peter whimpered on his seat, while Flash seemed all too smug as his mother continued to bark more biased nonsense at Tony. He breathed deeply and did his best to reign in his sudden need to kick both the woman and her stupid brat out of the room — _"You need to train your patience, Tony."_ Pepper had warned him. _"Dealing with rich kids and their equally rich parents will be no walk in the park."_—, and focused on Peter.   
  
His chest tightened at how small the young boy seemed. His eyes were glossy with unshed tears and his lower lip trembling, but he had this determined spark in his eyes that told Tony he did not regret what he had done.   
  
Peter Parker was not like the other students in the Maria Stark Academy. Other than incredibly brilliant for his age, Peter also came from a rather humble family that consisted of him, a younger sister and his single father, whom Tony had never had the pleasure to meet in person. The only one who had seen the man had been Natasha, since Tony was usually caught up with something else. Romanoff was to the Academy what Pepper was to Stark Industries: a relentless force that cares for everything while Tony sits back and works on the gadgets and ideas that will bring profit to his company and improve the academy's conditions. He used to say that his incredible brain shouldn't be bothered with the trivial since it could disrupt his genius, and they always ended up humoring him — or ignoring him, in Natasha's case.   
  
But that meant he wasn't usually in contact with the parents of the kids, once Natasha was the one who always took care of that, so he didn't really get to meet the people who cared for the few brilliant children who happened to succeed in his rather difficult scholarship tests.  
  
Which clearly meant that his current predicament was a special case, since Natasha was not one to pass these issues for him to deal with. She could be rather ruthless when she wanted to be — hence why the kids remained in their best behavior in order to never incite her icy wrath, and the parents did their best to stay out of her way —, so the fact she had shoved this situation into his hands without as much as a quick explanation showed that Mrs. Thompson hadn't gotten on his nerves only.   
  
Talking about the harpy, Tony finally focused back on her just in time to hear her last sentence, "— and I should have known better than to allow Flash stay in here when you came up with this ridiculous scholarship announcement! If I wanted my child to be near dirty commoners, I would have placed him on a public school!"  
  
Tony's thoughts balked. _What the hell?_ "Now wait just a minute—"  
  
His retort was interrupted by a knock on the door, which caused Tony to snap his mouth shut and exchange heated glares with Mrs. Thompson. "Yes?"  
  
The door creaked open and Natasha's stony expression appeared from the crack, "Mr. Stark, Peter's father is here."  
  
Tony felt the telltale of a headache start to nag at his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Great. Another parent to have a scream match. "Sure. Let him in."  
  
Natasha nodded and disappeared behind the door, leaving Tony to glare back at Mrs. Thompson. "Again, I understand you are upset Mrs. Thompson, but I need to ask you to have some decency in the presence of the children. We still need to figure out what happened between them."  
  
"And I already told you there is nothing to figure out! My son is innocent, and that little bastard is a violent delinquent that should not be allowed near other children!"  
  
Peter whimpered again, and Tony was about to jump to his feet to tear the woman a new one, when a deep masculine voice beat him to it, "What did you just call my son?"  
  
All heads in the room whipped towards the source of the voice, and Tony felt all his rage and frustration dissolve at once as his eyes locked on the sight.   
  
Standing by the door with a look capable of making even the bravest of people soil their pants, was possibly the most beautiful specimen Tony had ever laid eyes on. He had short blonde hair and a full beard that looked far too soft to be real, a pair of piercing blue eyes that burned with poor concealed fury and sent a pleasurable shiver down Tony's spine, who was having a hard time to try and stop ogling those absurdly broad shoulders and the ridiculous muscles that were just as poorly concealed by a flannel long sleeved shirt — sleeves which were folded up to his elbows. The worn out jeans and the brown shoes assembled an outfit that would usually make Tony scoff and look the other way — affronted by such an insult to fashion — but the guy somehow pulled off in the hottest way possible.   
  
"Daddy!" Peter jumped out of his seat and crossed the room in an instant, tackling his father in a tight hug and hiding his face on the man's midsection. The guy didn't even move once his son collided against him, only lacing an arm around Peter's shoulders while he continued to glare daggers at Mrs. Thompson. "You're here!"  
  
"Of course I am champ, and I'm sorry I'm late." He finally looked away from the woman to focus on Peter — who was now staring up at him — and the way his furious expression morphed into one of unrelenting tranquility as he offered his son a breathtaking smile, which caused a sudden wave of something warmth and unexpected to crash against Tony and leave him momentarily breathless. "I needed to wait for your uncle to arrive so I could come."  
  
"I'm so sorry you had to leave work because of me, I swear I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Flash started it!"  
  
"L-liar!" Flash spoke up for the first time since Tony had arrived, "He's lying! I started nothing, he just attacked me!"  
  
Peter turned around still in his father's hold to glare at Flash, "Did not! You were the one who was picking on Ned!"  
  
That successfully pulled Tony out of his trance and back into the matter at hand. He frowned at Flash, "Is that true?"  
  
The sudden harshness in his tone caused Flash to flinch, but Tony did not relent. One of the most important rules he had decreed for the academy was a "no bullying policy”, something his mother had confided on him she wished to exercise in the future academy she had been planning to build – but never got to due the accident that cost her life –, and it was widely known to anyone in the school that he could be rather unforgiving if said rule was to be ignored. Pepper had coaxed him into giving at least the younger kids the benefit of the doubt and a two strike mark since they were just that — kids that were learning, but that leniency did not apply to the teens, and Tony lost the count of how many kids he unceremoniously kicked out of his school because of that.   
  
If he remembered well, this would not be the first time he hears of the Thompson's kid breaking that specific rule. Being aware of these situations in specific was one of the few demands he made to Natasha, and she had already reported to him once about the Flash Thompson case. He was surprised, though. Natasha was usually intimidating enough to keep the young ones from repeating the mistake. He lost the count of how many bully-to-be's were successfully turned into little angels after only one encounter with the redhead’s icy glare, but apparently, Flash was an exception.   
  
It was not hard to understand why, however. With a mother like that and a clearly absent father — Peter's god of a father was single for some reason Tony couldn't understand, but as far as he knew Flash had both of his parents, and his father just happened to not be present. Figures —, the recipe for a little bully on the making was there for everyone to see.   
  
But as much as he felt for the kid, he was not going to be tolerant a second time.  
  
"I asked you a question, kid," Tony repeated himself, and he hated repeating himself.   
  
Flash visibly gulped but still didn't respond, looking up to his mom in a clear request for help, but her attention wasn't on him. Tony quirked up a brow at the distracted woman, who was ogling Peter's dad just as bad as Tony had been. Worst, even.   
  
Tony felt something ugly and possessive twist his insides, which was clearly stupid. He had just met the man.   
  
Trying to convince himself of that didn't keep the irritation from seeping through his tone, however, "Mrs. Thompson, wouldn’t you like to address your son's potential misbehavior?"  
  
The woman startled back to reality, "What?" She blinked at Tony, and then her confused expression morphed into one of anger, "What do you mean 'potential misbehavior'? I already said my son is innocent! "  
  
Tony's expression hardened even more as he rested against his chair's backrest "And why do I find that hard to believe?"  
  
"What?! You'll take the word of some poor kid over mine?! I pay your bills!"  
  
Tony smirked wolfishly at her, which immediately caused the woman to freeze and shut her mouth. Flash stared at her with wide eyes, and even Peter's father seemed taken back by her words. Tony leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table and interlacing his fingers as he asked with a rather amused tone, "Impressive, Mrs. Thompson. If you have enough money to pay the bills of a billionaire whose current car is worth more than what your entire family probably earned in the past decade, I wonder why you decided to put your kid on my school. Was it for him to deliberately break my rules and piss me off, or just to have the pleasure of bragging to your high society friends that your child is being taught in the best academy currently existing in American soil? My, am I humbled."  
  
Mrs. Thompson's mouth fell ajar, and there was a range of emotions on her face going from scandalized to outright embarrassed, but she didn't say anything else. Pepper would probably scold him for two hours because of his sharp tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to give a fuck. Anyone should know better than to try to act arrogant towards Tony Stark. You mess with the cat, you get the claws. It was simple as that.   
  
Seeing that there would be no more interruptions from the Thompsons, Tony calmly turned his attention to the Parkers and had to hold back a smug smile. Peter had a starstruck expression on his little face while his father eyed him with a quirked brow and curiosity sparkling in those beautiful baby blues, which could make Tony bend the will of the world if asked of him.  
  
Reigning in his derailing thoughts once again — what did kids these days call this behavior on twitter? Being ‘horny on main’? — Tony moved his focus back to Peter, and offered him the most friendly smile Tony Stark could display, which wasn't that hard. He really liked the kid. "So, Peter was it?" His little head bobbed up and down. "I've already heard Flash's version over and over again, but you just briefly spoke about yours. Care to elaborate?"  
  
Peter seemed uncertain for a moment, looking up towards his father who had coaxed him back to the chair and now stood behind him. Golden Adonis placed a supportive hand on his son's shoulder and nodded in reassurance, so the boy finally looked back at Tony and inhaled nervously before speaking, "Ned and I were having lunch at the cafeteria, minding our own business, when Flash and his little crew arrived and started to bother us!"  
  
Flash jumped off his seat, "Liar! Mr. Stark, I did none of that!"   
  
"I'm not lying! I never lie!" Peter barked back, and the boys clearly were about to fall into another fight when Zeus' offspring finally graced Tony's ears with his voice once again.   
  
"Peter." He interrupted, successfully shutting up even Flash. "You know better than to let your emotions get the best of you."  
  
Peter's shoulders sagged and he lowered his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, daddy."  
  
"That's right, he should know better." Both Tony and Peter’s father whipped their heads towards Mrs. Thompson, who apparently had found her voice again. Wonderful. "He shouldn't go around punching other kids like that!"  
  
Mr. Divine shot her a disbelieving look, "Are you seriously trying to tell me how to raise my kid when yours walks around playing bully?"  
  
"M-my son did no such thing!"  
  
"Pete says he did, and I've taught my son the value of truth above anything else," he crossed his arms against that absurd chest and cocked an eyebrow at the woman. "Have _ you_?"  
  
Mrs. Thompson looked between outraged and aroused, and Tony honestly had to bit his lip to hold back his laughter. _ Having trouble coming up with an argument, are we? _ He thought amusedly. He had been a possessive mess earlier, but now he couldn't quite blame her. His train of thought was all over the place as well.   
  
"Well, if the problem is who to blame, why don't we just figure out?" Tony helpfully supplied, earning everyone's attention as he turned to the great television situated on the side of his office and snapped his fingers. "JARVIS, please recover the file from the cafeteria around noon today, please."  
  
"_It will be my pleasure, sir_." Answered JARVIS' disembodied voice, causing the Thompson's to jump and the Parkers to look around confusedly. Soon the television flickered to life and started to show the high quality footage of the cafeteria, which had been crowded with students having their meals of the day. "_The current footage takes place around 12:07:03 in the afternoon, a few moments prior to the scuffle between the students Edward Leeds, Peter Parker-Rogers and Flash Thompson._"  
  
Flash stiffened on his seat and shuffled nervously, but Tony didn’t bother paying him any mind. Now, Parker-_Rogers_? He turned his attention back to Peter’s father, whose attention was entirely focused on the screen. _ Interesting_.

A few seconds went by on the footage and JARVIS purposely zoomed on Peter and Ned's table. They were eating and talking excitedly about Star Wars, which caused Tony to hold back a smirk – the kid had good taste. However, upon noticing the feed had not only high quality image, but also high quality sound, Flash seemed outright panicked, which did not bode well for the boy, even though his mother stood above him with a far too confident expression. She was apparently in for a treat if the boy’s skittish behavior was any indication.   
  
On the recording, Flash arrived with his little group that Tony took his time memorizing the faces, and the good atmosphere on the table immediately evaporated, "Hey there, Parker. Hanging out with Flabby Pants again? You know, you'll end becoming fat by osmosis or something."  
  
Tony’s jaw clenched. Oh hell no.  
  
Peter's expression clouded over in the video, while Ned only lowered his head. "Go away, Flash. I already told you I'm not going to join your little group, and leave Ned alone!"  
  
Flash scoffed at that, "You know very well who owns the school, Parker. My parents are like this," he rubbed his two index fingers together, "with Principal Stark, so you should know better than to back talk me!"  
  
Tony had to admit; he was impressed. That was some kind of bullshit only a teenager would be able to come up with, and not a twelve year old.   
  
"That's a lie! Mr. Stark is a very good and busy man, he wouldn't waste his time with you and your mean folks!"  
  
Alright, that caught him off guard. He subtly looked in Peter's direction only to find the boy blushing and looking down as if suddenly his sneakers had become really interesting. Tony smiled.  
  
Flash's laughter in the video ruined the tender moment for Tony. "As if someone dirty and poor as you would know anything about how the high class behaves!"  
  
"Hey, I'm not dirty! I shower every day!"  
  
"C'mon Pete, it's not worth it..." Ned tried to intervene, only to have Flash pushing him off his seat with unnecessary brutality.   
  
"You stay out of this, happy meal!"  
  
Ned yelped once he fell on the floor, and Peter immediately went for his aid, "Ned! Oh my god, are you alright?!"  
  
"F-Fine."  
  
No, he wasn't fine. There was a small track of blood running down his nose since he had apparently landed on his face once he fell, and Tony felt another spark of fury light up within him. _What the hell?! _  
  
"Apologize!" Peter was suddenly on his feet again and chesting Flash, who had been laughing with his little group. "Apologize right now!"  
  
Flash snorted in apparent amusement, "Or what, Cinderella? You'll cry?"  
  
"No," Peter growled, and Tony could see him balling his small hand into a fist, "but you will. " Then he landed a punch square on Flash's nose, which caused him to land on his ass and proceed to shriek in pain.  
  
Holy shit, for someone that thin, the kid truly could pack a punch.   
  
The video came to an end and television shut off, which left Tony to click his tongue in annoyance, "That's all there is, J?"  
  
"_Indeed, sir. Afterwards, Mrs. Romanoff arrived on the site and intervened_."  
  
"I see, thank you buddy."  
  
"_Always a pleasure, sir._"  
  
Tony turned around to the families, and his expression must have been mirroring how he felt, because the only person who didn't flinch before his fiery gaze was Peter's father – who he would now address as Mr. Rogers, because he absolutely loved that name.   
  
His attention, however, was on Mrs. Thompson, who looked as red as a tomato and sported a furious expression of raw embarrassment as he spoke up, "So, we are thick as thieves then, Mrs. Thompson? Funny, must have missed that memo since I can't even remember your first name to properly address you, you know, like close friends do."  
  
She inhaled sharply at that, "W-we— I—"  
  
"And Flash, I'm actually impressed at how assertive you were over there. You know blackmailing is a crime that can land you in jail right?" Tony casually asked, successfully freaking out the kid. "Not to mention this is not the first time I hear of your name causing trouble in my school, where things as bullying and inflicting bodily harm on other students is strictly forbidden."  
  
"T-Then that should apply to that brat as well! He inflicted bodily harm on mine!" Mrs. Thompson argued, her panicked voice sounding almost like a shriek and bothering Tony's ears.   
  
"That he did," Tony then turned back to Peter, "what do you have to say for yourself, Peter?"  
  
"That I accept any punishment, but I don't regret what I did." The kid ground out stubbornly while crossing his arms against his tiny chest, "He hurt my friend and keeps trying to force me to join him and those buddies of his, and I don't want to! I don't like bullies."  
  
To say Tony was impressed was an understatement. "Is that so? And do you think that hurting people is the correct way of fixing things?"  
  
"No," the boy deflated, "daddy already told me it isn't, and that we should always try to solve things with our brains before we use our fists, but I got angry."  
  
"So you know you were wrong, but still won't apologize."  
  
Peter shot him a determined look, "I won't."  
  
Tony was curious now, "Can you explain me why?"  
  
"Because my daddy is a retired superhero who fought bullies in other countries when I was a baby, and he never apologized for standing up for others!"  
  
Tony felt himself blink rapidly at the young boy, caught completely off guard. _ Oh? _  
  
"Pete..." His father released a deep sigh and— oh. Oh my God. The man was blushing. "I'm having a serious conversation with your uncle about the kind of bedtime stories he tells you."  
  
Peter gasped at that, "But they are my favorites! You never tell me anything about the time when you were a soldier!"  
  
"And now you are throwing punches at people as a way of communicating! This is exactly why I don't tell you these things."  
  
Tony, however, was not entirely engaged on the conversation going on between father and son. The guy was in the military once upon a time. He probably was one of those veteran soldiers with a whole lot of medals and achievements behind him, and that explained pretty well why his body seemed to be sculpted by the Greek gods and brought to life by Aphrodite herself.   
  
It was hard for Tony to like anything regarding the military seeing how often him and his father head-butted when Howard engaged on his 'I was in the military once and proudly served my country, so I don't get why you won't do the same' talk, but somehow, Mr. Rogers had absolutely nothing that discouraged Tony's from entertaining the great amount of sexual fantasies involving a uniform that struck him like a bullet.   
  
Was it improper to be coveting the parent of one of his students? Absurdly, and Pepper would probably tear him a new one if she found out, but just looking was not a sin, right?   
  
If it was, whatever. Tony was not religious anyway.   
  
"Very well," he finally found his own voice after dry swallowing his want, "I don't think there is anything else to investigate here. It's clear that Peter’s reaction was nothing but a response to the aggression against his friend, whom I'm sure I'll need to speak with the parents as well since he clearly got hurt." Tony turned his hardened look to the Thompson's, finding a seething Mrs. Thompson glaring right back while Flash did his best to look as small as possible. "And I don't know if it didn’t get clear to your boy or yourself, Mrs. Thompson, but it's very important to me that my students respect my academy's rules, seeing how they are what makes this school as prestigious and safe as it is. I will not have your son breaking a rule as important as 'do not intentionally harm or intimidate a buddy' a second time for whatever reason."  
  
She bristled at that, "What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying I do not want the likes of you or your offspring anywhere near my property, so feel free to find yourselves a new school, since mine clearly doesn't live up to the expectations when your son is so inclined to be as disrespectful and laid-back as he is."  
  
"What?!" She was seething, "How dare you want to kick my son out just because of a little school fight?! That's how boys this age communicate!"  
  
Mr. Rogers openly scowled at that, but otherwise remained silent while gripping at his son's shoulders. It was clear he was a second from snapping at the woman and her twisted ideals, but something kept him from doing it, and Tony had the feeling it had something to do with being chivalrous – even though the bitch didn't deserve it. What a man.   
  
Tony stepped in, however, "In a jungle, perhaps, but this is a school and the students are meant to behave themselves and respect each other. If you don't see an issue with how your son acted, then it's clear he is not the only problem here."  
  
"That is an absurd! I pay this school, while he," she pointed at Mr. Rogers, " doesn't! You can't be seriously favoring his little delinquent over my boy!"  
  
Clearly that was the last drop for the man, as he finally let go of his chivalry and snapped at the woman with a commanding tone Tony could easily picture him using on the battlefield, "You better stop being a damn hypocrite and stop calling my son that. He was merely reacting to your kid's bullying!"  
  
Peter's eyes went wide as saucers, "Daddy, you cursed!"  
  
"Not now, Pete."  
  
Tony held back a snicker. How was 'damn' a shocking curse?   
  
"Well, even if he did, he shouldn't have priority over mine!" She turned back to Tony, "For the absurd amount of money I give this school, the least you could do was give him another chance!"  
  
Now Tony couldn't hold back the snort. "I don't need the money I earn from this place, ma'am, it all goes to Maria Stark's Foundation as a way of helping those in need, but if you truly want an answer why I'm 'favoring' Peter,” yes, he did the air quotes, "which I'm not, since he still will receive his own punishment, then let me show you why. I didn't want to do this, but you left me no choice. JARVIS?"  
  
"_How can I be of aid this time, sir? _ "  
  
"Be a dear and display Peter's academic history ever since he made into the academy."  
  
"_With pleasure._" And then the big screen turned on once again, this time displaying Peter's impeccable grades and spotless history.   
  
The boy immediately blushed in embarrassment and looked away, while his father beamed at the display with pride in his eyes and another breathtaking smile stretching those absurdly inviting lips. Something inside Tony felt giddy at the thought that something he'd done had brought such joy to the man's previously tempestuous expression, but he shook himself out of it.

_ Focus on putting the bitch on her place first, ogle the hot daddy material later_.   
  
It was almost terrifying how the voice that told him that sounded a bit too familiar with Pepper's.   
  
"As you can see here, Peter lived up to our expectations when he was first admitted into our school through the Stark Scholarship program I've set in motion last year. The passing grade was 75 minimum, but since he scored nothing less than 98 points on a test considered quite difficult for children his age, we had high hopes he would thrive in our school, which he did." JARVIS kept showcasing each of Peter's grades on the different subjects of the school, and the lowest grade had been a B+ up until now, "Now, regarding your much privileged son who actually got to easily enter my school without the need of any aid since you are able to pay it, I fear that the results are far less impressive.”

He pulled up his Stark Pad and started to check through it as JARVIS sent the results to him.

“I won't put them up because I feel like the kid is embarrassed enough as it is, but judging by what I see in here," Tony looked down at his Stark Pad and frowned slightly at the amount of terrible results, "he just barely reaches the passing grades, even though my teachers are trained to understand each one of their student's specific difficulties and aid them through it. Even the most challenged kids grow in the environment my darling mother has planned for them," Tony raised his eyes to meet the Thompson's again, "which means that the lack of positive results from your boy for the past year can only mean he doesn't care enough and you are wasting both your time and money keeping him here."  
  
"I— He—" Mrs. Thompson stuttered, but Tony was not about to let her gather her bearings.   
  
"But I'm sure you are aware of this. After all, that's why my counselors and coordinators have monthly meetings with the parents to let them know how their kids are doing under our care and to update them of possible difficulties they may be facing. Some of these difficulties may become situations exactly like the one that happened today, which is why Mrs. Romanoff is so adamant that all parents should attend," he looked down at his Stark Pad again, feigning surprise, "ah, says here neither you or Mr. Thompson ever did. How curious," he shot her an unimpressed look through the lens of his glasses, "isn't it?"  
  
Mrs. Thompson was redder than before now, and if Tony didn't know any better, he would say she was about to explode. She took her son's hand and forcefully pulled him out of the plush chair he had been sulking in. "You'll regret this. My lawyer will be hearing of this absurdity, so consider your school's pristine reputation ruined."  
  
Tony smirked knowingly at her and gestured lazily towards the door. "It's not the first time I've hear that, so I'm sure my own lawyers will have a blast with yours. Have a wonderful day."  
  
The woman scoffed angrily at how her threat fell to deaf ears and stomped towards the door while forcefully dragging her son along. Flash whimpered about her hold on his arm being too tight, but she just snarled at him to shut up and opened the door. Once he passed through it with his head lowered, Mrs. Thompson glowered at the three of them one last time before following her son out and shutting the door with unnecessary strength, which caused the walls to rattle and Peter to jump on his chair. Tony rolled his eyes. With the amount of times his poor door suffered this kind of abuse, he was really considering having someone to have a look at its hinges.   
  
A deep sigh brought his attention back to the two people who remained in his office, and Mr. Rogers was sending him an apologetic look that should not be so similar to a kicked puppy. "I'm truly sorry about this, Mr. Stark. I've always taught Peter to know better than to fall for this kind of trap."  
  
Peter seemed regretful as well, "Yeah... I'm sorry for causing trouble, Mr. Stark."  
  
Tony blinked, taken aback. Seriously? Both father and son had the ability of look like kicked puppies? Now that just wasn't fair.   
  
"No need for that. I thought you said you didn't regret anything, Peter?" Tony smiled warmly at the boy, "Or you are going back on your word? True men never go back on their word."  
  
Peter widened his eyes at him, seeming as awed as his father was looking. "You are not mad?"  
  
"I'm not happy about a fight having breaking out on my school, but I can understand why you lost your cool." Tony then moved his eyes to Mr. Rogers, "Besides, with such a cool superhero as your father, I'm sure it would be difficult to just sit around and do nothing while a friend of yours is in trouble."  
  
Peter beamed at him, "Exactly!"  
  
Mr. Rogers chuckled in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck, and Tony counted that as an ultimate win. If that man didn't smile as often as Tony hoped, that should be considered a national crime against humanity.   
  
He turned his attention back to Peter, "With that said, I'll let you go with only a warning this time, but I don't want this to repeat itself, yes? You are one of my best students and I would rather if it you stayed that way."  
  
The blinding smile Peter displayed could rival the sun, "Really?! So I'm not getting detention?"  
  
Mr. Deity— I mean, Mr. Rogers frowned at that. "Mr. Stark, are you sure? He still broke one of your rules. Won't that set a bad example for the other kids?"  
  
Tony felt his insides melt at the man's concern that his son still got a lesson out of this. The way Peter behaved on a daily basis was already a clear sign of Mr. Rogers’ excellent parenting, but seeing the man doing it in person was even more satisfying than Tony could have imagined, since Tony's own references of parenthood turned out to be a distant cold asshole and a backstabbing treacherous snake.   
  
"Well, if it concerns you that much, I can request Mrs. Romanoff to designate Peter to do some extra time after class and tend to the school pets." The boy's face lit up like it Christmas morning, and Tony's smile widened in response, "They will be his to care as well in a year, so might as well start getting acquainted with the responsibility."  
  
Peter shot his father a hopeful look, and Mr. Rogers quirked up a brow at the offer. Tony knew it was more of a prize than a punishment, but he wasn't really that inclined to actually punish the boy, so this would do.   
  
"Well, I suppose it works." He agreed and then looked down at his son, "You won't skip not even a single day, and no videogames for a week."  
  
Peter had been so happy about the prospect of being in contact with the animals that he didn't even flinch before the added punishment. "Okay! No problem!"  
  
Tony felt himself chuckle. That boy truly was something else. "Now, Peter, why don't you go outside and let Mrs. Romanoff know of your future extracurricular activities? Maybe pass by the infirmary to check on your buddy Ned as well. I need to have a word with your father."  
  
"Okay! Thank you, Mr. Stark!" Peter hopped off his chair and quickly rounded it to give his father another hug. "See you later, daddy! Sorry again for causing trouble."  
  
Mr. Rogers hugged his son back and smiled that warm smile of his, "That's alright, champion. Just see it doesn't happen again." Peter nodded against his father's shirt, then released him and darted for the door, quickly opening it and running out as his father called out after him, "And no running!"  
  
Tony chuckled at the expression of exasperated fondness present on Mr. Rogers face as he shook his head and turned around to meet his waiting gaze. "Are you sure this is alright, Mr. Stark? He always wanted a pet, and we can't really afford one right now, so this will be more of a reward than anything else."  
  
"It's fine, he's a good kid and his heart was in the right place, so I rather don't be too hard on him. And besides," he gestured for Mr. Rogers to sit down, which he promptly did, "It's not like caring for animals is anywhere near easy."  
  
Mr. Rogers chuckled knowingly, "I'm well aware. I volunteer on a place that rescues street animals on the weekends, and I usually take him and my youngest."  
  
If Tony’s smile could widen more, it would have. Of course Mr. Perfect volunteered to care for rescues. "Ah, so he will already be somewhat familiar with some of the care. Good, but we have everything from chinchillas to horses, so I wouldn't worry about him getting bored."  
  
"I'm glad then."  
  
Tony nodded, and then started to look for another subject to address. He didn’t really have anything else to discuss with the man, but he still wanted to talk to him for a bit longer without any bitch ogling him or any innocent kid around. Call him an opportunist, but something told him that if he allowed Mr. Rogers to leave through that door without exchanging a few more words with the man and getting to know him better, he would regret it – and since Tony was already impulsive by nature, consequences be damned.

He could deal with Pepper's wrath later and survive. Maybe.   
  
"So..." Mr. Rogers' sultry voice interrupted his rampant thoughts and dragged him back to reality, "if this is solved, what else you needed to talk to me about, Mr. Stark?"  
  
Tony cursed himself for allowing his mind to wander off in no helpful way, and decided to latch on the first thing his mind supplied him with, "You said you have a youngest?"  
  
"Yes, Mary. She's seven years old."  
  
The name hit a little too close to home, but Tony decided to ignore that for now. "Seven? That's quite young. Where does she study?"  
  
Rogers hesitated at that, which only served to perk up Tony's curiosity.   
  
"She, uh— I didn't really find a good school for her yet, so she's being home-schooled for the time being."  
  
_ Huh, that just won't do. She’s a first grader already _ . "Why don't you bring her around for her to have a look at our school? Our grades range from preschool up to the senior year."  
  
"Ah, that's very kind of you Mr. Stark, but as you might be aware, I can't afford your school. Peter is only here because of your scholarship program, which I must say I'm really grateful for." Tony once again felt his insides melt due being the target of such a groundbreaking smile. He never reacted this much to a guy in his entire life, and it was being overwhelming even if he was no stranger to the whole prospect of same sex attraction. "Your school truly is one of a kind, and I've never seen Pete so happy to wake up early to learn, and he always has a lot to tell me when he gets home."  
  
Pride welled inside Tony's chest and he preened at the praise. He was used on getting praises for his school's teaching methods, but it felt like a whole new world of pleasure to hear it coming from Mr. Rogers. "I'm glad to hear that. This place and its methods all came from my mother's lovely mind. I only added a few things here and there."  
  
"She sounds like an amazing woman."  
  
"Yeah, she was" Tony's smile faltered slightly and he tried to keep the sorrow from his tone, but if Mr. Rogers noticed it, he didn't show. "But enough about me and my family, it's yours we need to address. You see, my scholarship program is still a work in progress and I plan to expand it in the future, but the Elementary grade will have a different approach. I'm still working on it, but I'd love little Mary to be one of my first students to enter via the Elementary Scholarship program, just like her older brother."  
  
Mr. Rogers' eyes widened. "What?"  
  
"You see, I really like Peter. He is a very smart boy, and I have no doubt Mary is much the same, so I'd love to have both being nurtured by my school, and who knows, maybe even have a special spot in my future project of the Stark Industries Internship program once they start college." Tony had said that as if it was the most natural thing in the world, but it was clear the offer was more than a little overwhelming for Mr. Rogers, if his starstruck expression was any indication.   
  
"Mr. Stark—"  
  
"Please, call me Tony."  
  
Mr. Rogers paused at that, just so a curious smile could tug at the corners of his lips, "I thought only friends were on a first name basis with you?"  
  
"I just earned my third legal process this week in order to defend your kid, so I guess that makes us friends."  
  
Mr. Rogers chuckled sheepishly at that, "I suppose it does. Call me Steve, then."  
  
"Steve," Tony repeated as his own smile broadened, loving how the name rolled out of his tongue. _ Steve Rogers _ . What a powerful name. "Alright then. Were you saying, Steve?"  
  
"I am very humbled by your offer, and grateful beyond what I can out into words that you are giving my kids this opportunity, but I have no way to pay you back. I'm merely a boat fixer."  
  
Tony held back a scoff. His personal Greek God slaved away while fixing dumb ass boats probably for dumb ass rich people like himself? Unacceptable.   
  
Well, the sight of Steve covered in motor oil and sweat sure sounded more than acceptable, but the rest didn't.   
  
With a poor concealed frown, Tony decided to be a bit daring and ask, "And why don't you have a job in natural security or something? You are a consecrated war veteran, aren't you?"  
  
Steve sighed, suddenly seeming unsure of himself. Tony internally scolded himself. This clearly was a touchy subject and he should know better than to be nosy.   
  
However, to his surprise, Steve explained anyway. "War left me with a few psychological issues to deal with, and I need to be with Mary as much as I can, she—" he paused, briefly biting his lip, but mustering courage to continue, "She is the other reason why I'm so reluctant to accept your offer. She is not like the other children her age, so it can be a bit difficult."  
  
Oh? "So she's like Peter? Because he sure is one bright cookie for his age."  
  
Steve hesitated, and Tony didn't push this time, only offering the man the best supportive look he could come up with. He was the director of a prestigious school, was he not? Helping kids was one of his duties, even though he absolutely sucked at dealing with them directly. Rhodey used to laugh at his lack of efficiency when it came to dealing with children, and in Tony's defense, he had gotten a lot better at it, but Howard's terrible parenting didn't really help his references. All he knew he learned through Pepper, who forcibly made him study some pedagogy on his free time.   
  
"_You are a genius who can build anything out of scrap metal and discovered a new element. Children shouldn't be a challenge for you, Tony _ ." She had reassured him when he was too panicked to actually be more of a constant in the academy. " _ It might be scary in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it comes naturally _ ."  
  
Tony had been skeptical, of course. He still thought himself to be too much of a loose cannon to actually be able to look after children or even be a good reference to them. It was outright terrifying, and now he would need to care for countless children of strangers? Excuse him for freaking out a little bit.   
  
But it turned out alright in the end. Tony still struggled some to properly talk with the kids, but in most part he did well. It also helped that Natasha was the one doing most of the job, so there was that. 

Smart kids were his favorite, however. They were easier to understand, and far easier to entertain for him in particular, so if Mary was anything like Peter, then he was more than inclined to help her out.   
  
The answer Steve gave him, however, threw him for a loop, "Not really... I mean, Peter is very smart and I'm sure he surprises everyone around him, but Mary is..." He hesitated. "Special."  
  
Tony perked up at that, "What kind of 'special' are we talking about?"  
  
"The 'solves college math problems at the age of four' kind of special."  
  
Tony's eyes widened in both glee and surprise. Steve's little girl was a genius?   
  
_ She was like him? _   
  
"Oh shit!" he beamed at Steve, who visibly relaxed on his chair at Tony's positive reaction, "Then one more reason to bring her here! She needs special attention."  
  
"Mr. St— Tony," Steve quickly corrected himself at Tony's frown, "That's very kind of you, but I can't possibly ask of you this kind of assistance. Mary can be a handful, and I really would rather if she could have a touch of normalcy in her life. Her grandmother already—"

  
"Ask me a question."  
  
Steve blinked in apparent confusion, "Beg your pardon?"  
  
"Ask me anything. A math problem, whatever you'd like."  
  
Steve was staring at him as if he had grown a second head, but after a minute of thought, he relented, "4 x 67"  
  
Tony smirked and effortlessly answered,"268"  
  
Steve's eyes widened, "12 x 340?"  
  
"4080"  
  
"300 x 890?"  
  
Tony didn't even bat an eyelash, "267000"  
  
Steve fished his phone out of a pocket in his pants, "... Squared root of 267000?"  
  
Tony paused for a second, but only a second, "516,720142 plus other 8 numbers I'm too lazy to list."  
  
Steve stared at his phone, then at Tony, and then back at his phone. "Oh, wow..."  
  
"Unsure which rock you have been living in not to know your daughter and I are much alike, but as you can see, I can help you more than you know."  
  
Steve blinked owlishly at him, "... There's nothing I could ever do to repay you for that, Tony."  
  
He shrugged, "See it as me making it up to you, since my school promises the safety of our students and we failed to deliver that to Peter and his friend today. I should have expelled that boy when my assistant first told me about his first transgression."  
  
"Wasn't that too a bit too harsh, though? I understand the boy was way out of line, but he's still just a kid."  
  
Tony smirked. "You remind me of Pep."  
  
Steve raised a brow, "Who?"  
  
"A friend, but back to the subject, no, I wasn't too harsh. I give the younger kids two chances, which is more than I give the teenagers. I rather not have this kind of thing in my school, seeing the repercussions it may bring in the future."  
  
Steve’s smile was singlehandedly the prettiest thing Tony had ever seen, "That's amazing... I don't think I've ever seen something like this on a school. I, myself, had to deal with my fair share of bullies back in my school days, so I really appreciate it."

Tony had a hard time picturing anyone being able to pick on Mr. Muscles and leave the conflict unscathed, "People bullied you? I have a hard time believing that since," Tony gestured towards him, or more specifically, towards said muscles, "you know."  
  
Steve momentarily inspected what Tony had been gesturing at, only to openly laugh the most beautiful laughter that ever graced the principal's ears. "I suppose it sounds ridiculous now, but I wasn't like this when I was younger. I was far more... thin."  
  
Right, then he went from thin to thick with three c's? Who was this guy, Disney’s Hercules?

  
"If you say so, but I'm glad that it pleases you, which is why I'm inclined to keep your children in here and properly nurture them."  
  
Steve, however, still seemed uncertain, "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with putting Mary with the bigger kids. I know she will be safe, but she still is very small and might get intimidated, and I don't think I need to tell you she won't fit in well along with the other first graders..."  
  
Tony bit back an amused smile. That man truly was adorable to think Tony hadn't already think this through, "You don't have to worry about that. Until I properly equip the academy with suitable classes and qualified professionals to tend for gifted children, I'll tutor her myself."  
  
Steve almost jumped out of his seat, "What?! No, Tony, wait. I can't ask you to—"  
  
"You are not asking, I'm offering."  
  
"But— but—" Steve clearly was trying to form an argument against the idea, and Tony let him. He sure was cute when he was fumbling. "Don't you have a company to run? And the school? I'm sure you have a lot of—"  
  
"I'm filthy rich, honey. I don't need to do anything I don't want to, and I want to help you and your children." He smiled in a way that he hoped it looked charming, "so please, Steve, _ let me _ ."  
  
The man sagged on the chair, running a large hand through his face and that thick beard that was far too inviting to be fair. Upon further inspection, Tony noticed the black circles under his eyes and how truly exhausted he seemed. His life definitely wasn't the easiest; having a low income, possible mental issues by consequence of his days on the battlefield, and two remarkable children who needed twice as much attention and care than a common child did. Tony didn't need to know him well to see the man was in a desperate need for help, and he was more than willing to provide said help.   
  
… And perhaps other things as well, if the opportunity came to pass. Tony smirked inwardly. Yes, he sure could offer that man _ many _ things; he only needed to say the word.   
  
"There has to be something I can do to repay you, Tony." Steve insisted, and he really loved how his name sounded on the man's beautiful voice. "I can't let you do all of this for me without at least giving you something in exchange."  
  
There was something. A very intimate and immediate something that could happen right now in this room once he gave JARVIS the order to lock the door, but Tony held back his tongue. _ This is not the moment to be a slut, Stark. Focus. _ _  
_  
Tony considered his options for a minute, until he came across a good idea that would not only help Steve in a lot of ways, but also help himself, "If you insist, I have something you could do for me."  
  
Steve perked up at that, "What? Just say the word, I'll do anything."  
  
Tony bit his lip strong enough to draw some blood. _ Don't just speak like that, love, I might take it to heart. _ "I've recently fired my bodyguard since he was a useless buffoon and almost got my personal driver hurt, which means the vacancy is currently open, so... " Tony trailed off, taking a sip of the whiskey he had eventually poured himself during his earlier conversation with Mrs. Thompson. "I think you'd do wonderfully at it, Mr. Veteran Soldier."  
  
His tone may have sounded a bit too flirty, but it seemed to go unnoticed by Steve as he gaped at the principal once again. "Your way of requesting me to pay our debt... is by giving me a job? _ As your security guard _ ?”  
  
"_Personal _ security guard, I can be high maintenance, so I need a _ whooooole _ lot of care." He winked unabashedly at Steve, who barked out a surprised but elated laugh.   
  
"Are you even real?"  
  
Tony had another sip, suddenly feeling parched, "Dunno hon," he felt the words _ 'come here and feel it for yourself _ ' almost roll out of his tongue, but he ended up going with something else instead, "you tell me."   
  
He was not ready for Steve's charming smile, however, and neither for the words that followed, "Sure looks like a dream."  
  
Tony was everything but graceful as he took a too big of a swing of his whiskey and ended up choking himself. 

Holy fuck! Did Steve just _ flirt back _? 

Steve's seductive look was soon replaced by one of concern as he straightened up on the chair and worriedly asked, "Are you alright?"  
  
"F-Fine! I'm fine." Tony eased him with a placating gesture, causing relief to flood the blonde's expression and an amused smile to stretch his lips.   
  
"Good. Would be terrible if you died when we just met."  
  
The little shit looked too smug for his own good, and Tony found himself laughing at the absurdity of the situation as he felt the heat creep up his neck and tinge his cheeks. 

_ Who was the blushy mess now, huh? _   
  
"I have the feeling that we will get along just fine, Steve." Tony pointed out once he regained some of his dignity, getting up from his chair and prompting Steve to do the same. He started to walk towards the door, and Steve followed suit. "I'll have my personal assistant contact you about the job, but I'd like you to bring little Mary tomorrow once you come to drop off Peter. I'd like to meet her as soon as possible."  
  
Steve hummed in agreement, coming to a stop next to Tony once they reached the door, "I'll be sure to bring her. Should I look for Mrs. Romanoff again?"  
  
"Don't worry, I'll have someone to meet you at the entrance." Tony continued to smile, wondering how surprised would Steve be to arrive to Tony himself expecting them, "Just be sure to arrive on time. I'm a bit of a bitch about everyone's punctuality but mine."  
  
Steve laughed heartily at that, and Tony felt the need to pat himself on the back for making the man laugh yet again. "Duly noted."  
  
When Steve's laughter died out, both remained where they stood, neither moving or speaking as they looked into each other's eyes. Tony wasn't sure what had gotten into him today, but he just didn't seem able to look away from those glorious blue eyes that just happened to keep his own captive. Time seemed to stand still between the two of them, and Tony took the opportunity to drink in the glorious sight before him.   
  
There were little speckles of green midst that world of blue which stared at him; like a set of aphrodisiac islands situated on the vast blue sea that you can only see by magnifying a satellite's image. There was no better adjective to describe those ocean eyes other than 'groundbreaking', because the intensity of the feeling that wracked Tony’s body and almost made him go weak on the knees could not be addressed as less than earth shattering.   
  
Steve's beard looked even softer from up close, and the need to run his fingers through that beautiful brownish-golden mane was almost too overwhelming for Tony to handle. The man was some inches taller than he was, but was still tall enough to force Tony to look up in order to be able to remain hostage of Steve's mesmerizing gaze. He seemed to be assessing Tony, trying to understand him and his motivations perhaps, and Tony was one step from closing the distance between them and making his intentions _ very _ clear, but then Steve shook his head slightly and broke eye contact, bringing an end to the enchantment and causing Tony's wandering thoughts to come to a screeching halt.  
  
_ Fuck _ . What the hell was wrong with him today? He used to be more controlled than this.   
  
"Tony," Steve called in a low voice, almost a whisper, regaining Tony's attention in a second, "thank you for stepping up for Peter today. You didn't have to, but it means a lot that you did."  
  
Tony felt those metaphorical butterflies that books speak so much about flutter inside his stomach. Why was it so good to hear Steve thanking him? "Anytime, big guy."  
  
Steve beamed at him, and Tony praised his own self-control when somehow he didn't jump the man for the third time for the past ten minutes, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."  
  
"Yes," Tony agreed, barely willing his voice to come out. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Steve placed one of his big hands on Tony's left shoulder and gave it a light squeeze before smiling at him one last time and finally opening the door to leave. The touch sent a spark of electricity throught all of Tony’s body, and he felt the need to ask Steve to wait; to try and come up with another reason for them to spend more together that day, _ anything _ .   
  
But Steve's broad back came into his field of vision, and Tony forgot everything he was trying to say until the door closed behind the man with a soft 'click', and he was gone.   
  
Tony shook his head violently, willing his heart to calm down as it hammered against his ribcage. God, he never felt like this, way less after meeting the person for the first time.  
  
He forced his legs to move until he was back behind his table and seated on his comfortable chair. His mind was racing, and he couldn't quite organize his thoughts as he poured yet another glass of whiskey for himself. He leaned against the leather backrest and brought the glass to his lips, having a sip while a thoughtful look came across his features.   
  
Steve Rogers was not a common person, just as his kids were nowhere near common children. He had somehow managed to raise Peter and Mary by himself for who knows for how long, and Tony was sure that he would continue doing great even without his intervention, but there was something specific that drawned Tony to him, something even above all the overwhelming want that seemed to be gnawing at his insides and torturing his mind.   
  
Steve Rogers had two gifted children – one as gifted as Tony himself –, and he didn't parade them around like circus animals because of it like Howard had done to him. The only thing Steve cared about was providing the best life for the both of them, and hopefully, offering both a healthy dose of normalcy any child needed during their childhood, away from Harvard professors, stupid tests, and the vultures of the media. 

He could make himself a fortune if he 'used' his children's intellect, but Steve was clearly the kind of man that would rather starve other than to force his children to do anything of the like. So, yeah... Maybe Tony was being an asshole for doing this hoping something more carnal in exchange, but that was not the only reason why he was doing it.   
  
Steve Rogers was a man unlike any other, and it terrified Tony how suddenly inclined he was to turn the world upside down in order for it to fit Steve and his little family as it should.   
  
"J?"  
  
"_Yes, sir? _ "  
  
"Call Mrs. Potts. I need to let her know I have a security guard to hire, and also reschedule all of my tasks for the day," he downed the rest of his whiskey and picked up the Stark Pad, "I have a whole new section of this place to plan."  
  
"_Very well, sir._"  
  
After all, it was time to start turning the world upside down. 

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE ME SOME THIRSTY-OVERPROTECTIVE TONY, SO DON'T EVEN @ ME RN GLKMLAGMLKAMKLMEG
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this long ass read! Leave a comment if you may, since this miiiiiiiiiiiight become a multi-chap (I mean, bodyguard Steve ft Tony Stark + Gifted Mary? That's a dream waiting to happen) but... Idk yet. I won't compromise since I'm not sure if I can deliver, but if anyone is up to the task, I'd be glad to talk about it!
> 
> Catch y'all soon. Laterz.


End file.
